Mujuru regrets campaigning for Mugabe, Zanu PF

BULAWAYO – Opposition National People’s Party (NPP) leader Joice Mujuru
yesterday said she regretted campaigning for President Robert Mugabe and
his Zanu PF ahead of the 2013 elections, a development she said has
resulted in untold suffering to the masses.

Addressing thousands of supporters during the Women’s Electoral
Convergence (Wec) event here, Mujuru called for better representation of
women in decision-making government positions.

“I made a mistake,” Mujuru said. “I campaigned for Zanu PF in 2013. We
promised that we will give everyone good living but see where we are and
we are saying where did we go wrong after that, that’s what we should be
told,” she said.

“So, choose women right from councillors . . . These women if you ask them
about what is there in their houses, they will tell you the number of
teaspoons, the number of blankets; they will tell you even things they are
short on and so on because they are the administrators of the family. We
want all of those (women) to be in Parliament.”

Mujuru said she was upbeat that the idea they came up with last year
together with three of her female colleagues for women forums have been
actualised.

“We thought of this idea last year and it was four of us. We asked
ourselves what could build a true woman of Zimbabwe and we said we wanted
to unite women.

“We can have different understanding due to our political interpretations
but let’s leave that to political forums that is where we can talk about
our political differences, but here we said let’s bring women from all
spectrums of life.”

The former vice president further called on women to unite to spearhead
voter education to get people to the polling stations.

“Because we are now facing an important event where we normally miss the
boat, it is this important event, the elections, where we need education
to be given to the people.

“Women should be educated about what they should be doing and the role
they should play as women. They won’t hear me enough if I go alone,”
Mujuru said.

She said the unity exhibited by women was a big step.

“Now we are talking about coalition, it’s the road to getting that unity
that should give us what we are looking for in 2018.”

Event convener and MDC legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga was
excited by the attendance.

“The attendance is unbelievable, probably close to 4 000, it’s exciting
and far better that the Harare one,” she said.

With the bumper crowd, she said she was now confident that they can
surpass their 2 million target of potential voters by election time next
year.